The Osterman Weekend

A CIA agent (John Hurt) convinces the host (Rutger Hauer) of a popular talk show that three of his close friends (Craig T. Nelson, Dennis Hopper, and Chris Sarandon) are working for the KGB.

The Osterman Weekend is a convoluted, overblown film that, unfortunately, was director Sam Peckinpah’s last.

While it’s easy to see how Robert Ludlum’s novel would interest Peckinpah, you have to look closely to see any of the director’s handy work. While the opening and closing segments are a virtual train wreck, the middle of the film, particularly the initial scenes at the party, are vintage Peckinpah. This is the film’s real strength, as the relationships between four couples, long time friends up to this point, begin to unravel.

The cast is a mixed bag. While Burt Lancaster is great as an ambitious CIA executive, Craig T. Nelson looks ridiculous with his fake moustache. Chris Sarandon and Dennis Hopper are workable, as is Rutger Hauer for most of the film, until the end when, inexplicably, his American accent starts to slip.

The script by Ian Masters and Alan Sharp tries to cram too much of Robert Ludlum’s novel into the film’s 103 minute running time, resulting in a lot of confusion. Ludlum was rumored to have offered to rewrite the script for free, but tension between the producers and Peckinpah prevented it from happening.

Adding insult to injury, the producers significantly re-cut the film after initial test screenings after Peckinpah refused to do so. The resulting ending is apparently their handiwork, while Peckinpah retained his screen credit.